Lavatory closet



June 16, 1931. J. LEWIS 1,310,280

LAVATORY CLOSET Filed Dec. 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR June 16, 1931.

J. LEWIS LAVATORY CLOSET Filed Dec. 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 16, 1931 l PATENT OFFICEF JOSEPH LEWIS, orwmmrne, MANITOIBA,'CANADA LAvA'roRY mm Application filed Decemb 27, .1329, Serial-No. 416,960, and in Canada November 18,1929. i

The invention relates to improvements in lavatory closets and an object of the. lnvention 1s to provide a closet having an a1r tight service box or tank associated with the bowl sion ofthe water to the tank-and the discharge of the water from the tank to the bowl is controlled by themovement of the seat lid or cover of the closet] Aifurther object of the'invention is to arrange the construction such that when the lid is moved to closed position over theseat, the closet is iflushedby the water from the tank and when theilid is opened, the tank is replenished with water from the domestic water service supply pipe; v p

A further Object is. to construct the tank so it'can be positioned to the rear of the closet bowland such that the various connections made are relativelyshort whereby the whole device is compact and not displeasing to the eye and further to arrange the parts such that standard fixtures can beused. A further-object of'theinvention is to con.- struct the Water tank sothatit is amply reinforced by a centrally' located stay pipe through whichlatter the water service pipe passes. i

n A further object is to provide means for the bowl each time the closet isflushed.

A still further object is to arrange a connection between the valvesemployed so that they can be readily adjusted so that the valves illopen and close at the proper times in regard to one another. v I

With the above more important objects in view, the invention consists essentially. in the arrangement and construction'of parts here- 'inafter more particularly described, reference admitting replenishing air to the tank from,

being-had to theaccompanying drawings, in wlnch: 7

Fig.1 is a plan view of the invention with the top casing removed, 7 v i d Fig. 2nis a side elevation of the working parts, the upper casing being shown in verticalsection. I

Fig. 3 is avertica'l sectional View at 3-3 Figure 1.

Fig. dis a vertical sectional viewat 4-4.- Figure 1. I

In the drawings like characters of ref-, erenc'e indi'ca-te corresponding parts in the several figures. r

Lavatory closet bowls at the present time are generally flushed by water contained in an elevated tankythe Water passing under the action of gravity to the bowl for flushing purposes. 'Such an arrangement makes a rather conspicuous apparatuses .Will be readily understood. p

The bowl which I employ is of *the cus tomary type and accordingly only a portion thereof is herein shown and is indicated by i the reference numeral 1. The flushing pipe 2 leads to the back of the bowl in the usual manner being connected thereto by suitable bush- 'ings provided The seat 3 covers the open top of the bowl in the usual manner and above theseat is the lid or seat cover at. These latter partsare also constructed in the usual manner.

i The rear-part of the bowl is provided with a pair of opposing similar standards 5 which have their upper ends terminating in bearings 6 and the bearings receive rotatably a spindle or cross rod Similar arms" 8 and 9 are secured permanently to the seatand extend rearwardly therefrom and have their rear ends pivotally mounted at 10 on the spindle.

ing to this arrangement, it will be obvious that when the lid 4 is raised, the shaft 7 will be rotated and that the seat can swing freely in respect to the shaft.

To the rear of the bowl, I locate a substantially rectangular tank 14 which is seated on the floor and is of predetermined capacity. The tank is reinforced by a centrally disposed stay pipe 15 having the ends thereof permanently fastened to the top and bottom of the tank. The tank is made preferably from metal'and requires to be air and water tight. A water service pipe 16 leads upwardly through the pipe 15 and has the lower end thereof connected with the domestic water service supply pipe (not shown) and the up per end connected through a series of elbows 17 and nipples 18 with a gate valve indicated generally by the reference numeral 19. A water pipe 20 leads from the gate valve and is connected by an elbow 21 and nipple 22 to a three-way elbow 23 and the latter elbow communicates through a short nipple 24 with a further gate valve 25. The gate valve 25 is connected'by a nipple 26 and elbow 27 with the flushing pipe 2 leading to the closet bowl.

A vertically disposed branch pipe 28 leads downwardly from the elbow 23 into the tank and has the lower end thereof terminating in an elbow 29 engaging the bottom of the tank. An air vent hole 80 is made in the lower end of the pipe 28, the purpose of which is to admit air into the tank each time the closet is flushed thereby replenishing the tank with air. The gate valve 19 is somewhat smaller than 25 but the construction of the valves is identical.

The valve casings are provided with extensions 31 and 32 into which horizontal spindles 33 and 34 pass, suitable packing glands 35 being provided to prevent leakage. The outer ends of the spindles are provided with levers 36 and 37 and within the extensions the levers are provided with cranks 38 and 39. The cranks carry discs 40 and 41 which control the flow of water through the valves 19 and 25. I have not considered it necessary to enter into a detailed description of the gate valves as they are commonly used. It is sufiieient for the purpose of my invention to understand that when the valve 19 is opened, the water is freeto flow from the nipple 18 to the nipple 20 and when the same is closed, the flow of water is stopped and that when the valve 25 is open, water is free to flow from the nipple 24 to 26 and when the latter valve is closed, the flow of water is stopped.

The levers 35 and 37 are connected one to the other so that when the valve 25 is open, that 19 is closed and vice versa. Accordingl when the valve 19. is opened, water will film from the domestic service supply pipe into the tank by way of the pipe 28 and when the valve 19 is closed, water is free to flow from the tank to the closet bowl as at such time the valve 41 will be open. During the interval that water is flowing into the tank, the air trapped in the tank will be compressed and the water will continue to flow until the air pressure reaches the pressure of the service water. Subsequently, when the valve 25 is opened and 19 is closed, the compressed air in the tank will expel the water from the 'tank to the closet bowl for flushing purposes. As the level of the water lowers in the tank, the hole 30 will be uncovered and at such time, air will be admitted from the pipe 28 into the tank, such air coming infrom the bowl through the flushing pipe 2. V A yoke 42 spans theupper end of the lever 37 and is connected pivotally thereto b a bolt 43 and a yoke 44 spans the upper en of the lever 36 and is pivotally connected thereto by a bolt 45. The yokes are adjustably connected together by a rod 46 having the ends thereof screw threading into the yokes and provided with adjusting nuts 47 and 48. The screw threaded rod and adjusting nuts permit of the yokes being adjusted in respect to each other and of the consequent proper positioning of the valve levers 36 and 37.

To one end of the shaft 7, I secure permanently a lever 49 which has the rear end terminating in an eye 50. A pair of links 51 and 52 are connected pivotally to the eye by a bolt 53 and the rear ends of the links are provided with lengthwise extending slots 54 which slidably receive the bolt 45. Customarily when the seat cov r or lid 4 is raised, it swings somewhat over 90 and as I utilize the movement of the lid to actuate the valves and the valves do not require a long movement, itis necessary to provide the slots 54 which take up some of the seat movement before the valves are actuated.

In order that the general operation may be better understood, I will explain the action assuming the lid is in the closed position as shown. When the lid is manually raised, it turns the shaft 7 and swings the lever 49 downwardly. At this time, the links are sliding freely ahead in regard to the bolt and the bolt 45 does not engage with the rear ends of the slots 54 until the'lid has reached a position approximately 45 to the horizonta As the lid moves from this latter position to its final open position, it operates through the links and the associated connections to simultaneously swing both levers 36 and 37 ahead and this accomplishes the closing of the valve 25 and the opening of the valve 19 at the time the lid has reached its fully open position. At such time, water will flow from the domestic service water supply pipe into the tank and will continue to flow until the pressure of the entrapped air within the tank is equal to the pressure in the service pipe. After the closet has been used, the lid will be manually closed andthis will reverse the poopening movement of thelid.

sition of the valves, the valve 19 being closed and that 25 opened with the result that the water in the tank is discharged into the bowl by the pressure of the air within the tank. The slots 54 accommodate the initial closing movement of the seat and the levers 36 and 37 are actuated when the front ends of the slots 54 come into contact with the bolt 45. Vhen the level of the flushing water in the tank is low enough to expose the opening 30, air is admitted to the tank, to replenish the same.

I have herein shown the tank as enclosed in an outer casing 55and the valves and assoconnection between the valves, said connec- I tion and valves being set so that the outlet valve is closed when the inlet valve is open and an operating connection between the seat lid and the outlet valve adapted to open the outlet valve in the closing movement of the lid and to close the outlet valve in the opening movement of the lid. 1

Signed at Winnipeg, this 6th day of September, 1929.

- JOSEPH LEWIS.

take up but little room although all working parts are quite accessible for repair, adjustment or other purposes. 7

What I claim as my invention is l. The combination with a lavatory closet bowl, and the hinged seat lid thereof, of an air tight pressure tank located to the rear of the bowl, a pressure water service pipe passing firstupwardly through the tank and then horizontally in the form of a loop above the tank and 'finally communicating with the back of the bowl, a branch pipe leading from the loop downwardly into the tank and open- 7 ing to the tank adjacent the bottom thereof, an inlet valve in one of the legs of the loop controlling the passage of water to the branch pipe from the source of supply, an opposing outlet valve in the other leg of the loop controlling the passage of water from the tank to the bowl, a connection between the valves, said connection and valves being set so that the outlet valve is closed when the inlet valve is open and anoperating connection between the seat lidand the outlet valve adapted to open the outlet valve in the closing movement of the lid and to close the outlet valve inst-he 2. The combination with a lavatory closet bowl and the hinged seat lid thereof, of an air tight pressure tank located to the rear of the bowl, a pressure Waterservice pipe passing first upwardly through the tank and then horizontally in the form of a loop above the tank and finally communicating with the back of the bowl, a branch pipe leading from theloop downwardly into the tank and opening to the tank adjacent the bottom thereof and being provided adjacent its lowerrend with an air vent opening, an inlet valve in one of the legs of the loop controlling the passage of Water to the branch pipe from the I source of supply, an opposing outlet valve in the other leg of theloop controlling the passage of water from the tank to the bowl, a 

